Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 05 (of 10)American School of Correspondence
General
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 05 (of 10)
American School of Correspondence
Accounting; Business; Commerce
Preferable claims for taxes, wages, and salaries which must be paid in
full out of the assets of the estate, should be deducted from the assets
in order to show the net value of the estate available for distribution
among ordinary creditors. The details of such claims should be included
among the liabilities, but without extending the amounts to the total
column.
Claims of secured creditors also are entered on the liabilities side of
the statement, but are not carried to the total column. Such claims are
deducted from the assets forming the specific security held, the balance
only being included among the assets available for distribution and
carried to the total assets column.
Partly secured claims are entered among the liabilities, but the amount
to which they are secured is deducted, and the balance, which must take
the same chances of payment as other unsecured claims, is entered in the
liabilities column. The corresponding assets are entered on the assets
side but not extended.
[Illustration:
A Deficiency Account Which Shows the Causes of Loss
]
These adjustments are necessary to show clearly the net assets that will
be available for the ordinary creditors, and the total amount of claims
to be satisfied out of these assets.
Every statement of affairs should also have appended to it schedules
showing the fullest particulars of the different entries which appear in
the statement. The names and addresses of all creditors should be given
and the nature of the debt, whether a trading debt or for borrowed
money, should be clearly shown. Full particulars of any security held
should also be given.
It is much more difficult to ascertain the value of the assets of a
bankrupt than the amount of the liabilities. While it is comparatively
easy to get at the cost or book value of the assets, if the books have
been properly kept, it is usually necessary to write off a considerable
portion of this value to arrive at the amount likely to be realized on
forced sale. It is usually advisable, therefore, to call in an
appraiser, familiar with the line of business involved, to set the
values of the assets on the basis of a going business and on forced
sale.
By showing the book value of the assets and the values they are expected
to realize, the probable deficiency as a result of the liquidation of
the estate is readily seen. Book debts should be classified as good,
doubtful, and bad. Good debts are extended at face value, doubtful debts
at the amount they are expected to realize, while the bad debts are
entered on the statement without extending any amounts.
Assets should be listed in the order of their availability, those most
readily realized being placed first. At the bottom of the statement, in
the form of a note, the dividend available for ordinary creditors,
exclusive of expense of realization and liquidation, is shown.
A statement of affairs is shown, Page 27, which will make the
explanation clear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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